Annyeongz One-shots

125. Crown Between Us

The first thing everyone noticed when she walked into the academy was the silence.

It didn’t happen often at a place like this. The halls of Haneul Royal Academy were always filled with controlled noise polished laughter, quiet conversations, the subtle hum of power lingering in every step taken by heirs of kingdoms and empires. But the moment Jang Wonyoung stepped through the tall glass doors in her pristine uniform, it was like the entire building held its breath.

Not because she was unfamiliar.

But because everyone knew exactly who she was.

The daughter of the Jang royal family.

The same family that had been at odds with the Ahn dynasty for generations.

And that’s why, when her heels clicked softly against the marble floor, there was already someone waiting.

Leaning against the lockers like he owned the entire place, hands tucked into his pockets, posture relaxed but eyes sharp enough to cut through anything that dared approach.

Ahn Yujin.

Crown prince. Top student. Untouchable.

His gaze lifted the moment she stepped closer, and for a second, the world shrank down to just the two of them.

No one spoke.

No one moved.

Wonyoung stopped a few steps away from him, her chin lifting slightly, eyes calm but unreadable. She didn’t bow. Didn’t greet him. She simply looked at him as if he were nothing more than an obstacle in her path.

Yujin let out a quiet scoff under his breath, the corner of his lips twitching in something that wasn’t quite a smile.

“So they finally sent you here.”

His voice was low, controlled, but laced with something sharp.

Wonyoung didn’t hesitate. “Try not to disappoint me, Ahn Yujin. I heard this school only keeps the best.”

A few students nearby stiffened at her words.

No one spoke to him like that.

No one.

But instead of getting angry, Yujin pushed himself off the locker slowly, standing to his full height. The distance between them closed just enough to make the tension suffocating.

“You talk a lot for someone who just arrived.”

“And you look comfortable for someone who’s about to lose his place.”

Their eyes locked.

It wasn’t just rivalry.

It was history. Pride. Blood.

Something much deeper than a school competition.

For a moment, neither of them moved. It felt like a silent war had already begun.

Then Yujin stepped aside.

Not as a gesture of respect.

But like a challenge.

“Welcome to Haneul Royal Academy,” he said quietly. “Let’s see how long you last.”

Wonyoung didn’t reply. She simply walked past him, her shoulder brushing his just slightly enough to make it intentional.

And somehow, that small contact lingered longer than it should have.

From that moment on, the academy shifted.